Matthew Spinozi might be somewhat of a spectacle on the corner of 31st and 10th. The contrast of his shoulder-length, chestnut curls against his pressed white linen suit and leather loafers, stands out against the clean-cut commuters gathered just a few blocks away at the bustling Penn Station.

Dr. Sarit Buzaglo’s career trajectory from high school dropout to computer science postdoc is an Israeli success story she attributes directly to ISEF, the foundation dedicated to giving disadvantaged Israeli youth an opportunity to succeed.